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How can I connect to a 400 foot away building.?

tom_french_6660
New Contributor III
We are using R500 in our remote offices. This one office has a garage 400 feet away, and I need to have wireless there. Digging and burying a cable is too costly. Any ideas what we can use, there is only a parking lot between the two buildings.
3 REPLIES 3

john_d
Valued Contributor II
With this distance, I think you have a few options.... The most affordable option is to use SmartMesh to form a mesh link by placing an AP near the windows / exterior walls of each building such that the AP's attempt to form a mesh link through the parking lot. Ruckus AP's have a a receive sensitivity that is 15+ dB better than the average wifi client, so it can pick up its own signal from much further away.

You can also use a sectorized/narrow antenna outdoor AP, such as the T301s or T301n, aimed from one building to the other. This AP puts out an ordinary wifi signal but it shoots the beam either in a narrow fan shape (T301s) or literally as a narrow rectangular beam (T301n) outwards, which dramatically improves distance reach compared to a traditional AP, which was meant to serve clients equally in all directions.

Sometimes a AP like this can directly provide wifi coverage into the building. Otherwise, you may need to combine this with SmartMesh and put another AP inside the remote office within reach of the T301, to adequately provide coverage within the building.


Finally, another option is the P300 or 7731 point-to-point bridge. These are pairs of specially adapted Ruckus AP's that basically function as an ethernet cable in the air. This might be overkill for your project, as the 7731/P300 can be used with kilometers of separation.



I would say the second option (T301s/T301n mesh to remote office AP) is the technically correct option / formal option that one would officially recommend. However, don't underestimate the effectiveness of the first approach especially if you're on a tight budget. I've covered some pretty large outdoor gaps before simply  by placing an indoor AP near a externally facing wall/window.

alan_rothenstre
Contributor
If you are looking to install multiple access points in the garage I suggest the P300/7731 bridge.  You can then install a PoE switch at the garage and run Cat 5e outdoor cable to each location you need coverage.  Because of the cement and metal in a parking garage structure you may require more than 1, especially if multiple floors.  In the garage I would use T300, great little access point with great coverage.

tom_french_6660
New Contributor III

Thanks for all the info....


We will try the T301 option first, and see how it works.